How to activate and use Gmail offline

Gmail is the go-to email app for just about everyone. The very word is often used interchangeably with “email,” and no one blows an eyelid. It is a feature-rich email client. With a small tweak, you can even use Gmail offline, browse existing emails, and compose emails so they are automatically sent when you’re back online.

Here’s how to activate and use Gmail offline.

Related: How to access Gmail on your desktop

It is not a complicated process. Log in to Gmail in your browser, then click the cog icon in the upper right and click Settings.

Click on the “Offline” tab, then check the “Activate offline mail” box.

A lot of new options and information will appear to tell you how much storage Gmail is using on your hard drive. You can also choose how far you want Gmail to store your emails offline and whether or not to download attachments.

In terms of security, the last option is really important. By default, Gmail offline will of course store the data locally on your PC. (That’s the point, isn’t it?) With these security options, however, you can choose whether you want Gmail to store your data locally if you sign out of your Google Account on this PC.

Choose one of the security options, then click Save Changes.

Many people miss this last step. To access Gmail offline, you won’t just be able to enter the Gmail URL in the search bar. You need to go back to your Gmail inbox and then bookmark (Ctrl + re) pointing to the inbox.